Tractor attachment for baby carriages



Jan. 3, 1950 E. BORTNICK v2,493,613

TRACTOR ATTACHMENT FOR BABY CARRIAGES Filed March 7, 1947 store their carriages.

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Patented Jan. 3, 1 950 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE TRACTOR ATTACHMENT FOR BABY CARRIAGES Ephim Bortnick, New York, N. Y.

Application March 7, 1947, Serial No. 733,004

2 Claims. (Cl. 180-9.1)

This invention relates to new and provements in baby carriages.

' More particularly, the invention contemplates a tractor attachment for baby carriages which may be attached on old carriages, or which may be applied as original equipment on new carriages. The purpose of the tractor attachment is to make it possible to push the carriage up steps. Modern apartment houses have baby carriage rooms in their basements in which mothers may However, most tenement houses have no such arrangement and it is customary for mothers to leave their carriages in hallways since it is very difficult to haul a baby carriage up and down steps.

ment is manipulated so as to move to a lowered position beneath the bottom of the wheels of the carriage, to lift the carriage slightly, and then the carriage may be maneuvered upon the tractor members of the tractor attachment. It is .then an easy matter to negotiate the stairs. Thereafter the tractor attachment is manipulated so as to move to a raised position above the bottom of the wheels of the carriage which may then be pushed along on its wheels'in the usual Way.

It is proposed to characterize the tractor attachment by the fact that it includes a support for attachment on and beneath the chassis of a baby carriage between its wheels. A jack is associated with the support and has a stationary body mounted centrally on the support, and a vertically operable jack arm extending down- A tractor is mounted on said jack arm and has endless tractor members for extending forwards and rearwards of said carriage inside of its wheels, and normally positioned slightly above the bottom of the wheels whereby when said jack is operated and said jack arm moves downwards,

said tractor will engage the ground and raise said carriage to a position in which its wheels are a short distance off the ground. Now the carriage may be pushed up stairs on the lowered tractor.

Thereafter the jack may be operated to lift the tractor back to its raised position, and then the carriage may again be pushed on its wheels.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device as described which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured .and sold at a reasonable cost.

and accompanying drawings, and to the appended useful im'- 7 2 claims in which. the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a baby carriage provided with a tractor attachment in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1 looking from the right hand end.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the tractor attachment shown in Fig. 1, but illustrated, per se, with certain parts of the carriage schematically indicated.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary enlarged sectional View through the jack portion of the tractor attachment as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Fig. 3 but disclosing a baby carriage con structed in accordance with a modified form of this invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View of the baby carriage shown in Fig. 5, this view being as though taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary end view of the baby carriage shown in Fig. 5, this view being taken as though looking in the direction of the line 'I-| of Fig. 5.

The tractor attachment for baby carriages, in accordance with this invention, includes a support It for attachment on and beneath the chassis l of a baby carriage l2 and between the wheels l3 thereof. The baby carriage l'2 may be of any design and construction. It is shown to include a carriage body l4 mounted upon said carriage chassis l'l. This chassis ll includes axles H for the wheels I3. The support I0 is in the nature of a strip which is mounted beneath and attached to the axles II with brackets I5. A handle it is attached to the body 14 by which the carriage may be conveniently pushed along in the usual way.

A jack is having a stationary body l9 mounted centrally on the support it with several brackets 23 is provided with a vertically operable jack arm of any design and construction provided it is possible to cause the jack arm 2! to move upwards and downwards. The particular design shown includes screw threads 22 formed upon the jack arm 2! which is vertically slidably, but nonrotatively mounted. A pin 23. from the body [9 engages a longitudinal slot 24 formed in the jack arm 2i for holding it non-rotative and slidable. The screw 22 threadedlyengages through a bevel gear 25 which is rotatively supportedin the bottom of the body l9 by a pin 26 engaging a circumferential slot'Zlformed on the hub portion of the bevel gear 25. A' guiderod Illa is fixedly mounted on the jacl; body l eand extends, cenjack arm 2| in its vertical movements.

The jack body 19 isprovided with a bracket 28 rotatively supporting a flexible: shaft 29 which is connected with a bevel gear 30 meshing with the bevel gear 25. The flexible shaft 29 is housed in a flexible casing 3| which extends rearwards and upwards along one side of' the carriage handle I6. The flexible casing 3| is held in position by several clamps 32 connected, with the.

carriage handle Hi. The outer end of the flexible shaft 29 is provided with ahandle '34Vby*-'-' which the shaft 29 may be turned. By turni-ng the handle 34 in one direction or the other'it possible to drive the gears and25 and cause thejack arm} 2t to move downwards or upwards.

V Atractor36'is mountedon the bottomof said jack arm Zr and is provided'with endless tractor members. and 38 extendinggforwards and rearwards of the'carriage l2jinsideof its wheels [3 and normally positioned-slightly above the bottomof the wheels f3; whereby whenthe jack I8 is operated said jack arm 2| will move down! wards and move ,the tractor 36 downwards to engage the-ground and raise the carriage l2 to a position in which its wheels 13 are a short distance off the ground.

.The tractor36 includes a frame 39 attached to the jack arm 2! and extending forwards and rearwards and supporting a number of transverse ,shafts .40. These shafts 4B are. provided with sprocket'wheels 4! over which the endless tractormernber's 31 and 38 engage. The endless tractor members 31 and 38 may be of rubber, other friction materials, and materials from which tractor members are generally made. ,The operation of the tractor attachment for baby carriages may be understood from the following:v i Normally, the tractor 36 is in the raisedposition as illustrated in the drawing. When in this position the baby carriage I2-may be pushed along in the usual way and it will ride on its wheels 13. When it becomes necessary to ascend prdescendstairs it merely necessary to rotate the handle 34 in one di'recti-on'so as to rotatethe flexibleshaft-29, whichin'turn drives the bevel *gears and 25; Rotations of the bevel gear 25 will cause the screw 22 to descend, moving the jack arm .2! downwards. Since the tractor 33 is mounted upon the jack arm 2! it will also move "downwards. The tractor 36 ismoved down until its bottom is about twoinchesbelow the bottom or, the wl're els [3. Now it'is a. simple matter. to push the baby carriage up or down stairs on the operative tractor 36.

Thehandle 34 may be rotated; in the other difrection to indirectly cause the jack arm 2| to move upwards. 'In this way the tractor 36 is moved upwards toits original raisedposition "above the b ottonr'points of the wheels 13. Now the'carriage may again be pushed along on its wheels l3." j j V In Fig.5 a modified form of the invention has f'beeni disclosediwhich distinguishes from the prior form in' the'iract that a sprin motor has been associated with the tractor 3'6 for driving the same. The"spring motor 4'5is mounted ohjthe frame 39' by severalbrackets 43; The spring motordrives one of the transverse shafts for driving the s'procket wheels 4| and thus driving 1 the, tractor members 31; and 38. a. The spring .7 {motor 45- is provided with ahan'dle operated blah-Z9218 by which'it niaypestoppedgor released, so thatiit may operate, The'spri'ng motor 45 is endless'tra'ctor members:

' provided with a winding sprocket wheel 49. This by which the spring motor 45 may be Wound.

In other respects this form of the invention isidentical to the previous form and similar parts are indicated by similar reference numerals.

' The operation of this form of the invention may be understood from the following:

The handle 53 is ro tated for winding the spring motor 45. When it is desired to drive the carriage up flights of stairs, the .tractor 36 is lowered into its'operative' position-J Then the spring motor 45 is controlledby releasing or engaging the handle operated brake 48;

jWhile-I haveillustrated anddescribed the pre' ferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes'an'd modifications comingwithin the-scope of i the invention as defined in the appended claims;

Having thus described my invention, What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: r

1.- In combination with-a baby carriage havinga chassis provided with a pair of front wheels 'andapair of back wheels,- a-support attached to said chassis at a location between said wheels, a jack havin'ga stationary body mounted on said support centrally of-said baby carriage and hav ing a," vertically operable jack arm extending downwards, a frame attached to-said' jack arm and extending longitudinally to points forward andre'arwardof the axes-.of said front and back wheels-respectively; transverseshafts mounted on the front and rear endso-fsaidframe and extending to pointsad'jacent the inner faces of said wheels, sprocket wheels mounted on the ends of-said shafts,- andendles s'tractor members extending longitudinally-and engaged over said sprocket wheels in order that said carriage is bodily lifted vertically a short distance off the ing a vertically operable jack arm extending downwards, a frame attached to said jack arm {and extending longitudinally to points" forward and rearward'ofthe axes of said front and back wheels respectively, transverse-shafts mounted on the front and rear; ends, of said frame and extending topOiIl-ts adjacent the inner faces 'of said wheels, sprocket wheels mounted on the endsof said-shafts, endless tractor members extending longitudinally and engaged over said sprocket wheels-in order that-said carriage is bodily lifted vertically a short, distance off the ,ground' upon downward-projection of saidjackarm and is supported ina stahle elevated position; and a motor connected witl'r oneofjs aidshafts for driving saidendless tractormernbers for assisting said carriage in being pushed upstairs; on said 7 nf rm r BQRTN IQK; (Refercnc'eson following page) V I REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are 0! record in the file of this patent: UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS 5 Number Name Date g g 1,376,648 Schneider May 3, 1921 Name Date King July 12, 1932 Schuttkus Mar. 2, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Mar. 8, 1935 

